“Uh, no. In fact, I haven’t had a lot of time for women at all.”
“Good,” she said. “I don’t share.”
“Neither do I,” I agreed, pulling her into my arms and kissing her. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she said.
“How is that possible?” I asked, unable to stop myself when I thought of all the junk we’d eaten today.
She just laughed and looked around. When her gaze finally caught the massive Eiffel Tower we stood in front of, she gasped and held a hand over her mouth.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“Yes, you are,” I agreed, unable to take my gaze from her.
“Stop it.” She rolled her eyes. “Come on. I want to go up.”
I wanted to, as well. It had been impulsive as hell, but when Laura had been distracted in a jewelry store we’d stopped in, I’d purchased an engagement ring. I was hoping I could surprise her by proposing at the Eiffel Tower over dinner. Granted, it was just a Vegas prop, but she’d been so excited to go. I hoped the element of surprise would be on my side, and she’d accept that I really did want her to spend the rest of our lives together.
We headed up to the restaurant, and I was thrilled my Roz had been able to get them to hold a table for me. Since I’d had no idea what time we’d arrive for dinner, it must have taken a bit of coercion to keep a seat without an actual reservation.
“How did you do that?” Laura whispered as we were led through the packed restaurant to a table situated by the window looking over the strip.
“I have no idea,” I admitted. I helped her into her seat before sitting across from her. “My assistant is a magician, I think.”
The waitress came over and took our drink orders while we perused the menu. By time she returned, we were ready to order food.
“This place is beautiful,” Laura said as she looked around. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I asked.
“I don’t know…everything. Rescuing me. Bringing me here. Showing me the town today. Spoiling me rotten. It’s been the best day I’ve had in a really long time. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” I told her. “This is just the beginning, you know? I plan to give you the whole world.”
“I kind of feel like you already have,” she admitted.
The moment couldn’t have been planned more perfectly. I reached into my pocket and pulled the ring out of its box, watching her look around the restaurant.
“I wonder how many guys propose in this place,” she said, still not looking at me. “They probably think it’s so romantic. How cliché, right?”
“Right,” I said, the ring pinched between my fingers, my mouth suddenly dry. A waiter walked by carrying a tray with two champagne flutes and I quickly dropped the ring in one of the glasses. “Totally cliché.”
She turned back to me and smiled. Her hand stretched across the table, and I closed my fingers around hers. That…could have gone better.
“Oh my god!” a woman yelled from a table behind us. “Yes! Mark! It’s gorgeous! It’s huge! Yes.”
I turned to see a blonde woman standing up, staring at the ring she’d just slid on her finger. She was crying, and the man she was with, Mark apparently, looked like a deer in the headlights.
Oops.
“See,” Laura hissed, giggling behind her free hand.
“You’re very astute,” I told her, turning back to her. “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?”
“Can we finish tonight first?” she asked.
“Of course. I just wondered if you’d given any thought to what you’d like to do. Tomorrow. Next week. For the next year.”
“I’ve given no thought to anything beyond a beef wellington and another glass of wine,” she said. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
“No,” I assured her. “We’re kind of at a lull point with the new project. There are things I can do at the office, but most of it can be handled by my staff.”
“I don’t want to be a burden. Or a distraction.”
“And I don’t want to be overbearing,” I said. “But you just got here. I’d like to spend time with you.”
Our food came, interrupting the conversation. While Laura stared down at her plate, I stole a glance over to Mark’s table. His new fiancée was talking excitedly on her cell phone while he appeared to be whisper-shouting at the waiter.
“Can I freshen your drinks?” our waitress asked, coming back to the table.
“Yes, please,” I said. “Also, I’d very much like to pay for the dinners of the happy couple over there.”
“That’s very kind of you,” she said.
“Please don’t let them know who’s done it.”
“Of course not, sir,” she assured me. “I’ll have that taken care of right away. And I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“That was sweet,” Laura said.
I shrugged. It was literally the least I could do. It had been a beautiful ring, and if they ever broke up, she could hock it and buy a condo. But I’d obviously just forced an engagement, and Mark didn’t seem too happy about it.
After dinner, I led Laura back downstairs, and the valet got us a cab. As we rode back to the apartment, she snuggled against me, her arm threaded through mine.
“I guess it was kind of romantic,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“Him proposing to her there. Sure, it was hokey, but she was really excited. And it’s a beautiful place, even if it’s probably touristy. Maybe, cliché isn’t all bad.”
Seriously? I blew out a sigh and kissed the top of her head.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It was romantic.”
Son of a bitch.
Chapter Seven
~ Laura ~
It was late when we got back to the penthouse, and I was both keyed up and exhausted from the day. We’d done so much and had so much fun yet not even skimmed the top of everything to do here. I’d grown up in a boring small city where the sidewalks practically rolled up at eight at night. It wasn’t an
